Telemetry is a technology which allows the remote measurement and reporting of information of interest to a user. Telemetry typically refers to wireless communications (i.e. using a radiofrequency system to implement the data link) but can also refer to data transfer over other media, such as a telephone or computer network or via an optical link. Systems which need instructions and data sent to them in order to operate may also require telecommand which is the counterpart of telemetry.
Telemetry is an enabling technology for large complex systems such as spacecraft boosters, oil rigs and chemical plants because it allows automatic monitoring, alerting, and record-keeping necessary for safe, efficient operations. Space agencies such as NASA, ESA, and other agencies use telemetry and telecommand systems to operate spacecraft and satellites. As in other telecommunications fields, international standards exist for telemetry equipment and software. The European Space Agency (ESA) has defined one such standard. In wildlife study and management, telemetry is used to follow members of endangered species. Such animals are now commonly equipped with instrumentation ranging from simple tags to cameras, GPS packages and transceivers to provide position and other information to the scientists, producers, activists, regulators, or other human agencies.
Telemetry is also used for patients who are at risk of abnormal heart activity. Such patients are outfitted with measuring, recording and transmitting devices. A data log can be useful in diagnosis of the patient's condition by doctors. An alerting function can summon nurses if the patient is suffering from an acute or dangerous condition. Telemetry has a wide range of applications for all implantable medical devices (IMDs) and is particularly useful for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs are considered to be a subset of IMDs.
Once an IMD is implanted, it is important that the patient be monitored periodically by a clinic, physician or a commercial group that specializes in IMD follow-up. Some physicians will prefer that the patient be examined in the office on a regular basis to have the IMD checked. Others will arrange an IMD check to be done via transtelephonic monitoring, with periodic visits in the office or clinic. In many offices, the IMD check will be performed by a nurse or technician who is specially trained in management of pacemakers.
IMDs are usually checked with a special device called a wand. A portion of the wand is simply held over the pacemaker and is able to communicate with the pacemaker. It can obtain information about the function of the pacemaker. It can also change certain functions of the pacemaker to whatever the doctor, nurse, or technician feels is most appropriate. A specialized magnet may also be used during the pacemaker evaluation. If transtelephonic monitoring is part of the follow-up, a wand or specialized magnet will probably be given to the patient to use during the telephone evaluations.
However, on initial connection between the system at the patient's end and the system at the clinician's end, communication impairments can cause low baud rate conditions which prevents the execution of the remote patient follow up session. Under these conditions, the available bandwidth cannot support the amount of data coming from the remote patient. Furthermore, low baud rate conditions may prevent the transmission of real time data.
It can also become quite difficult and in some cases even unfeasible to upgrade the firmware on a transmitter used to remotely transfer patient diagnostic data to a receiver at the physician end. This is because the transmitter has to be either brought in-house or a technician will have to go to the patient with the necessary equipment required to perform the upgrade. These upgrades could be for incorporating feature enhancements or even fixes for potential problems in the transmitter. Delays in upgrading could result in patients not getting access to valuable or critical upgrades on time.
Yet another problem is the physical receiver unit on the physician side used to remotely receive patient diagnostic data. The use of a physical receiver unit limits the ability of the physician to conduct the remote follow-up session to locations where such a receiver is available. Thus in the event the physician is not proximate to a physical receiver unit, a follow-up session with a patient will not be possible.
What is needed is a method to optimize remote patient follow up sessions during low baud rate conditions.